It’s not all doom and gloom – We are better than this!

Seventh place summed up what was a shocking season domestically for Liverpool. Add to that the fact that we have no Champions League football at Anfield next year and you could be forgiven for feeling a tad pessimistic about our chances of restoring our honour next season.

The predicted difficult summer for this club has already started that way, with Mascherano apparently talking at length about how unhappy he is in Liverpool and then Fernando Torres refusing to commit his future to us. These stories have been gold for the press, who are expecting a complete meltdown at Liverpool with half of our best players jumping ship. Reading these gloomy stories about our beloved club may have you actually believe that we have a squad of players no better than that of a mid table team.

I however, don’t see things that way. When I look at our current squad I see between eight and ten players who would get into any team in the Premiership’s first 11. The first few of this list are obvious, with both Torres and Gerrard among the best footballers on the planet.

Here’s my list of the rest of our players who are good enough to play for any other team in the league:

Pepe Reina – Our player of the season and in my opinion is head and shoulders above the rest of the keepers in the league.

Daniel Agger – Calm and assured on the ball, Agger has the potential to be the best centre back in Europe and would compliment any team’s defence.

Martin Skrtel – Has shown the kind of tenacity that is needed to succeed in this league and is a reliable performer.

Jamie Carragher – He may not have had the greatest season but he still brings leadership and bags of experience to our backline. Fabio Capello, a well-respected top class manager, also recognised Carragher’s worth by convincing him to rejoin the England set up for the World Cup.

Glen Johnson – He may get criticised for his apparent lack of defensive discipline but his pure athleticism and young age show that he has a great future in the game ahead of him. I honestly can’t think of a better right wing back in the Premier League at the moment.

Javier Mascherano – Is regarded by many as the world’s top holding midfielder and is also the captain of the insanely talented Argentina squad.

Alberto Aquilani – It is a shame he missed so much of last season because when he has played, he’s completely changed our style of play from nervous hoofing up the field to clever one-touch passing. I truly believe he has the technique and attributes to be an extremely attacking version of Xabi Alonso.

Maxi Rodriguez – Has played his way into the hearts of the Kop with his intelligent overall play and has been a major influence for our home form in 2010 being so full of creative, flowing football. I actually can’t wait for him to properly settle and I look forward to seeing this experienced Argentina international play more alongside our other technically gifted players.

Yossi Benayoun – Has proven in the last two seasons that as an attacking player, he certainly knows how to contribute goals. He didn’t become the captain of his country by way of fluke. As far as squad players go, Benayoun has to be one of the best in the league, hence why I give him my vote as one of our key players.

When I look at these men I see hundreds of international caps between them and a squad that is actually strong enough to compete, no matter what the press say. What I’m trying to get at is that this squad is actually only three or four players away from being able to compete at the highest level once again. I’m just hoping that the manager uses each man (and whatever additions we make) to their full abilities next season and that we can see them produce top attacking football on a more consistent basis.

Then there’s the issue of not being able to attract top players due to lack of Champions League football. I believe that to be nonsense. Just look around at all the club teams in world football. There’s so much talent there to be discovered, there are strikers out there with the same coolness in front of goal as David Villa just waiting to make a name for themselves. The best players don’t automatically play for the elite clubs. They need to be nurtured into world class footballers by clubs who are willing to give them their chance. Playing for Liverpool is still one of the biggest honours a footballer could ever experience. Not only are we England’s joint most successful team domestically, we’re also by far England’s best representatives in European competition.

As for the players who are having their heads turned by other clubs, I agree with Jamie Carragher in saying that they can leave and will be replaced because this club has lost better players and recovered before.

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